Aston Martin reveals new Vantage sports car

The Aston Martin Vantage is the oldest car in the British manufacturer's current range, having been around since 2005. Now though, the firm has revealed its replacement – an all-new Vantage, set to take on the likes of the Porsche 911.

The new car borrows heavily from Aston Martin's partnership with Mercedes-AMG. It's lighter and more powerful than its predecessor, and is also significantly faster – but this comes at a cost, as it's around £25,000 more expensive than the old Vantage was.

Aston Martin Vantage revealed

Under the skin the new Vantage shares a lot with the larger DB11 – though 70 per cent of the structure is new for the Vantage. The lightweight aluminium construction means the car tips the scales at just over 1,500kg – on a par with the Porsche 911, and significantly lighter than the near-1,700kg previous-generation car.

Under the bonnet lies a 4.0-litre V8 engine. It's shared with the DB11 V8, and is heavily based on an AMG design. In the Vantage it's tuned to deliver 503bhp and 685Nm of torque, put to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Aston Martin claims a 0-60mph time of under 3.5 seconds, and a top speed of 195mph. Fuel economy, for those who care, is pegged at 26.8mpg.

The Vantage's bold new look has been influenced by the DB10 concept, in particular that car's shark-like nose, clamshell bonnet and slim LED headlights. It's also reassuringly different from the DB11, boding well for Aston Martin's previous promises that each car in its range would have its own identity.

The prominent front splitter and rear diffuser gives some indication of this car's aerodynamic prowess, with the whole exterior being tuned to manipulate the air. The prominent boot lip acts as a spoiler and reduces downforce, while the front wheelarches have 'gills' to reduce pressure at speed.

The Vantage also includes a new-to-Aston electronic rear differential, adaptive dampers and torque vectoring system to increase cornering capability. But it's not all about performance – the cabin lifts plenty of aspects from Mercedes-AMG road cars, including the infotainment system. Heated and ventilated leather seats and a premium sound system feature, as does a body-coloured panel surrounding the gear selector buttons.

Expect to see more models tuned for even more performance arrive in the future, along with a likely convertible Volante version. First deliveries will begin in the middle of next year, with a starting price of £120,900.